"Unless this horse runs away with him there ain't nothin' to happen," said Booge. "You needn't worry."
"And, Buddy, if you are a good boy and let Booge put you to bed, if I don't get back, Uncle Peter will bring you something you've been wanting this long while."
"I know what you 're going to bring me," said Buddy.
"I bet you do, you little rascal," said Peter, thinking of the jack-knife. "We both of us know, don't we? Good-by, Buddy-boy."
"You don't know what Uncle Peter is going to bring me, Uncle Booge!" said Buddy joyfully, when Peter was gone.
"No, sir!" repeated Buddy. "Cause I know! Uncle Peter's going to bring me back my mama."
BOOGE waited until he knew Peter was well on his way. Then he took Buddy on his knee.
"Where is your ma, Buddy?" he asked. "Mama went away," said Buddy vaguely. "Did she go away from this boat?"
"Yes. Let's make a wagon, Uncle Booge," but Booge was not ready. He considered his next question carefully.
"We'll make that wagon right soon," he said. "Was Uncle Peter your pa before your ma went away?"
"I don't know," said Buddy indefinitely. "You'd ought to know whether he was or not," said Booge. "Didn't you call Uncle Peter 'pa,' or 'papa' or 'daddy' or something like that?"
"No," said Buddy. "You said you'd make a wagon, Uncle Booge."
"Right away!" said Booge. "What did you call Uncle Peter before your ma went away, Buddy?"
The child looked at Booge in surprise. "Why, 'course I didn't call him at all," he said as if Booge should have known as much. "He _wasn't_ my Uncle Peter, then."
"Your ma just sort of stayed around the boat, did she?"
"No, my mama comed to the boat, and I comed to the boat, and my mama went away. But Uncle Peter and Buddy didn't _not_ go away. I want to make a wagon, Uncle Booge."
"Just one minute and we'll make that wagon, Buddy," said Booge. "I just want to get this all straight first. What did your ma do when she came to the boat?"
"I bet you!" said Booge. "And what did your ma do then, Buddy?"
"Mama hit Uncle Peter," said Buddy, "and Mama went away, and Uncle Peter floated the boat, and I floated the boat. And I steered the boat."
"And your ma left you with Uncle Peter when she went away," said Booge. "What was your ma's name, Buddy. Was it Lane?"